Banchet Awards 2025 food finalists

The 2024 Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence—Chicago’s premier honors for local cuisine—were announced Monday morning.

Named after the legendary chef who led Wheeling’s Le Francais restaurant in the 1970s and 1980s, the annual awards recognize innovators in Chicago’s restaurant scene. Winners will be announced at a gala event on January 26 at Venue SIX10.

“I think Banchets exists as a testament to the innovation of this city’s restaurant scene. That it is world class. That it is first class. When we come together once a year, it’s a reminder of how vibrant and exciting our industry is, and the decades of innovation that got us here,” said Michael Muser, co-owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Ever and organizer of this year’s awards event. .

Here is the list of this year’s nominees:

Competing for The best restaurant laurels are:

• Midwestern-Mediterranean fusion With
• Argentina’s mainstay of the West Loop El Che Steakhouse and Bar
• Danish-American contemporary seasonal table Yale
• Self-proclaimed “Adriatic drinking food” by Joe Flamma Rose Mary in Fulton Market

Finalists of 2025 The best new restaurant (open less than two years):

The list of finalists for Chef of the Year, another closely watched category, includes omakase sushi master Otto Fan Kyōten, the master of handmade pasta Sarah Gruneberg Monteverde, SKY universal restaurant group Stephen Hillenders and gastro-inn craftsman Kevin Hickey The Duck Inn.

Chicago also has a Best Pizza category. There are finalists Pistores in River North, Mili’s pizza in a pan on Argyle Street, Pizzeria Spacca Napoli in Ravenswood and Robert’s Pizza and Dough Co. in Streeterville.

Additional nominees Banchet 2025 awards include:

The best heritage restaurant

• Stumara
• Soul and smoke
• New Village Gastro Pub & Karaoke
• Ocean grill bar

The best restaurant in the area

• Bungalow from Middle Brow
• Po-Boy and Daisy’s Tavern
• Ki-Gol-Lani
• Le Bouchon

Rising Chef of the Year

• John Dahlstrom, Nettare
• Madalyn Durrant, Bar Parisette
• Mike Satinover, Akahoshi Ramen
• Chris Jung, Maxwells Trading

Bar of the year

The best counter service

• Migos Fine Foods
• Ragadan
• Tamaleria Santa Masa
• JP Graziano Groceries

Sommelier of the year

• Yelena Prodan; HEAVEN, Valhalla, Apollonia
• Kat Hawkins; Miru, Tre Dita, St. Regis Bar
• Patti Robison, Acanto
• Scott Stromer, Halit

The best hospitality

• brindle
• Dear Margaret
• Chong
• Anela

The best design

• Brasero
• Tre Dita
• Meat market
• Perilla Steakhouse

Pastry chef of the year

• Bo Durham, Mindy’s Bakery
• Waist shopping center, Elske
• Antonio Incandela, Marisco San Pedro
• Sara Mispagel-Lustbader and Ben Lustbader, Loaf Lounge

Banchet’s local awards were joined by the national James Beard Awards for Culinary Excellence when the latter moved its base to Chicago in 2015. Both awards brought unparalleled attention to the local restaurant scene.

“The Jean Banchet Award will forever be in Chicago. Hopefully, we can boast that the James Beard Award will last just as long. We hope the Beards know how much we appreciate their show in Chicago,” Muser said.

By Miriam DiNunzio, Sun-Times